Closable dinner service

ABSTRACT

A closable dinner service device including a case having a body and a cover adapted to close said body and be opened relative to said body and in open position forming a serving tray, an opening formed in a wall of said body through which a food tray is inserted when the device is closed, the opening being closed by a side wall of the cover when the device is opened into tray formation, the side wall of the body and the side wall of the cover being hinged and an insert tray adapted to be received in the cover in overlying relation to the food tray with the cover closed upon the body, the service providing a substantially rigid tray when in opened extended condition.

United States Patent [191 111 3,811,560 1 May 21, 1974 Schilling et al.

Inventors:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

CLOSABLE DINNER SERVICE Paul K. Schilling; Thomas H.

Eckdahl, both of St. Paul, Minn.

Plastics, Inc., St. Paul, Minn.

Oct. 27, 1972 1 US. Cl. 206/4, 220/2386, 220/31 S Int. Cl A45c 11/20,B65d 21/02 Field of Search 206/4, 72, DIG. 9;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Clarke Rasch 220/23.83 X

Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant Examiner- Steven E. LipmanAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Wicks & Nemer 5 7] ABSTRACT A closable dinnerservice device including a case having a body and a cover adapted toclose said body and be opened relative to said body and in open positionforming a serving tray, an opening formed in a wall of said body throughwhich a food tray is inserted when the device is closed, the openingbeing closed by a side wall of the cover when the device is opened intotray formation, the side wall of the body and the side wall of the coverbeing hinged and an insert tray adapted to be received in'the cover inoverlying relation to the food tray with the cover closed upon the body,the service providing a substantially rigid tray when in opened extendedcondition.

10 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTEDIAY 2 1 m4 sumaurs I C u 1CLOSABLE DINNER SERVICE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relatesto a dinner service device for serving a meal on an airplane wherestorage space is at a premium. With conventional known rigid flat traysfor dinner service each supports a coffee cup thereon thereby giving theservice tray a given vertical dimension due to the necessary cuptogether with the horizontal dimension of the tray. It is an object ofthe invention to provide a closable dinner service tray including acoffee cup which when two trays are closed the same occupy one half ofthe space occupied by two conventional flat trays with a coffee cup oneach of the same. It is a further object of this invention to provide aclosable dinner service which is compact and which allows carrying andhandling of the same without the chance of the coffee cup and traystherein falling therefrom. With the service device in an opened extendedcondi- FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 in which the food tray is inposition in the device.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the device.

FIG. 5 is an end view thereof.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view in opened extended position with the inserttray in stacked unmoved position.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the device in opened extended position withthe insert tray in usuable position within the tray.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on the line 99 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the device in open position with the foodtray and the insert tray removed.

FIG. 11' is an enlarged sectional view on the line l11lof FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a enlarged sectional view on the line 12-l2 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a bottom plan view of the insert tray.

FIG. 14 is a broken line drawing in outline form illustrating the spaceoccupied by two of the subject devices as compared with one conventionaltray with a cup thereon.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the dinner service device Aincludes the case which includes the body 22 and the cover 24. The body22 has the side wall 26 and the side wall 27 together with the end walls29 and 31. The side wall 26 is formed with the opening 34. Furtherprovided is the bottom 36 to which the side walls and end walls areconnected and an upstanding partition 28 is connected to the bottom 36which is spaced from and parallel to the side wall 26. The partition 28is connected to the first and, second transverse walls 32 and 33 whichare disposed inwardly of the end walls 29 and 31 and which connect withthe side wall 26 and form a first compartment C. The transverse walltion the same provides a substantially rigid tray which 32 is spacedfrom the end wall 29 sufficientlyto allow a cup Cu between the wall 32and the wall 29. A third transverse wall 30 is spaced from the wall 33to form a second compartment Ca. The wall 30 is spaced inwardly of theend wall 31 and the partition 28 is spaced inwardly from the side wall27.

The cover 24 includes the top portion 38 including the side wall 40connected thereto. The side wall 40 is the same height as the side wall26 with the edges of the side walls hingedly connected by the membraneportion 42 which is thinner than the walls 26 and 40. The cover alsoincludes the end walls 44 and 46 and the side wall 48.

The numeral 50 designates a food tray including the bottom 52, the endwalls 54 and 56 and the side walls 58 and 60. The bottom 36 of the body22 is formed with the rib 37 which is so positioned that when the foodtray 50 is in storage position it engages the rib which preventsdisplacement of the tray out the opening 34, particularly FIGS. 2, 6,and 10. Also provided is the removable insert tray 62 including thebottom 64, the end walls 68 and 70,'the sidewalls 72 and 74, thelongitudinally extending partition 76 and the short transverse partition78 connectedto the partition 76 and the side wall 74 thereby fonning thecompartments Cb and Ce. The len gth'of the tray 62 is substantiallyequal to the distance between the wall 32 and the wall 30 whereby theend wall 68 of the insert tray 62 is in alignment with the wall 32 whichallows the cup Cu in the position as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and7. The partition 76 connecting the endwalls 68 and forms thelongitudinally extending compartment Cf for receiving a spoon, knife andfork and the like. The compartment Ce is used for a roll and butter andthe compartment Cb is usually for a salad. The side wall 74 of theinsert tray is formed with the depending flange 80 which engages thepartition 28 to prevent lateral move ment of the insert tray when it isstored upon the partition 28, the transverse wall 32 and the transversewall 30, particularly FIG. 6. The end walls 68 and 70 of the tray 62 areformed with the depending flanges 72 and 74,.respectively, which engagethe walls 30 and 32 to prevent longitudinal movement of the tray, FIG.13. It will be seen that with thecoffee cup in position upon thebottom36 and' the cover closed, the flange 44, the flange 29 and theflanges 27 and 48 prevent displacement of the cup from the device.

As an example of usefof the device the same is used by placing thedessert portion of the service in the'compartment Ca and anempty coffeecup upon the bottom 36 between the transverse wall 32 and the wall 29 asillustrated FIGS. 5, 7, and 8 and in broken lines in FIG. 10 and 11 inparticular. The insert tray 64 is then loaded by. placing a rollandbutter andthe like in the compartment Ce, a salad or the like incompartment Cb and knife, fork and spoon in the compartment Cf. The tray64 is then placed upon the walls 28, 30 and 32 as in FIGS. 6 and 7 inparticular. The ,cover is then moved to a position upon the body 22 in aclosed position, FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 6. Thus the unheated portions ofthe'dinner are stored in the device A and said group may then berefrigerated. When the unit is to be used, it is removed fromrefrigeration, and the food tray 50 with hot food thereon is removedfrom a heated unit. The tray 50 is then inserted through the opening 34of the wall 26 and into the enclosed storage position as shown from FIG.1 to FIG. 2 in particular where it is retained in the body portion bythe rib 37 and the partition 28. With unit A so loaded it is easilycarried in a compact condition ready for use and without fear of thetrays and the coffee cup falling therefrom.

The cover is then opened to the position of FIG. 7 and then the inserttray is lifted and placed upon the cover 20 particularly as in FIG. 8and in such condition the dinner may be partaken of. With the device Ain the condition of FIG. 8 the same may be easily held in the extendedcondition due to the fact that the hinged side walls 26 and 40 hang andposition together to form a reinforced backbone member for the entiredevice. It will also be seen that from a vertical dimensionconsideration that two service units A occupy one half that which isoccupied by conventional flat trays with coffee cups thereon. In otherwords two flat conventional trays one upon the other with a coffee cupon each occupies space that accommodates four of the present devices.Similarly, two of the devices A in folded condition occupy the samespace as one conventional flat tray with coffee cup thereon asillustrated in broken lines in FIG. 14.

We claim:

1. A closable dinner service comprising:

a. a case having b. a body,

c. said body having sidewalls, endwalls, and abottom,

d. one of said sidewalls having an openingformed therein,

e. a cover having sidewalls, endwalls,arid a top, said sidewall of saidbody having the opening being hingedly connected to a sidewall of saidcover whereby the cover is closable upon said body,

f. a food tray being positioned in said body insertable through saidopening when the cover is closed,

g. an insert tray being mounted in an overlying relation upon and abovethe plane of said food tray and within said cover with said cover uponsaid body,

h. said sidewall of said body having said opening and said sidewall ofsaid cover hingedly connected thereto being of the same height, and

i. said opening being closed by the sidewall of the cover when the caseis opened.

2. A dinner service according to claim 1 in which:

a. the opening in the side wall of the case body extends substantiallyto the b. bottom of the case.

3. A dinner service according to claim 1 in which:

a. the body and cover are made of plastic material and the hinge meansincludes a strip of the material thinner in thickness than the thicknessof the side walls of the body and cover.

4. The dinner service according to claim 1 in which said insert trayincludes means for limiting movement of the same upon said body andwithin said cover.

5. The deviceof claim 1 in which a. the top of said cover has a lip onone side and on each end thereof, and

b. said bottom of said body has a lip on one side and each end thereof.

6. The device of claim 5 in which a. the space for the food tray extendswall of the case body to b. a partition parallel to said sidewall and isterminated at one end by a transverse partition disposed inwardly of anendwall of the body and meeting the one sidewall and the partition.

7. The device of claim 1 in which a. the top of said cover has a lip onone side and on each end thereof,

b. said bottom of said body has a lip on one side and each end thereof,

c. the space for the food tray extends from one side wall of the casebody to d. a partition parallel to said sidewall and is terminated atone end by a transverse partition disposed inwardly of an endwall of thebody and meeting the one sidewall and the partition.

8. A closable dinner service comprising:

a. a case having b. a body,

c. said body having an opening formed therein,

d. a cover closable upon said body e. a food tray insertable into saidbody through said opening when the cover is closed and f. an insert trayfor mounting in an overlying relation upon and above the plane of saidfood tray and within said cover with said cover upon said body,

from one sideg. wherein the body has h. side walls and i. end walls andj. said opening is formed in one of said side walls,

.and

k. wherein the space for the food tray extends from one side wall of thecase body to l. a partition parallel to said side wall and is terminatedat one end by a transverse partition disposed inwardly of an end wall ofthe body and meeting the one side wall and the partition.

9. A dinner service according toclaim 8 in which:

a. the space in said body into which the food tray is inserted isterminated by a partition normal to the wall having the opening thereinand b. one end of the insert tray terminates at substantially the samelocation as the transverse partition when inserted into the case to forma space for a cup between said tray and transverse partition and the endwall. I 7 10. A dinner service according to claim 9 in which:

for miscellaneous articles.

1. A closable dinner service comprising: a. a case having b. a body, c.said body having sidewalls, endwalls, and a bottom, d. one of saidsidewalls having an opening formed therein, e. a cover having sidewalls,endwalls, and a top, said sidewall of said body having the opening beinghingedly connected to a sidewall of said cover whereby the cover isclosable upon said body, f. a food tray being positioned in said bodyinsertable through said opening when the cover is closed, g. an inserttray being mounted in an overlying relation upon and above the plane ofsaid food tray and within said cover with said cover upon said body, h.said sidewall of said body having said opening and said sidewall of saidcover hingedly connected thereto being of the same height, and i. saidopening being closed by the sidewall of the cover when the case isopened.
 2. A dinner service according to claim 1 in which: a. theopening in the side wall of the case body extends substantially to theb. bottom of the case.
 3. A dinner service according to claim 1 inwhich: a. the body and cover are made of plastic material and the hingemeans includes a strip of the material thinner in thickness than thethickness of the side walls of the body and cover.
 4. The dinner serviceaccording to claim 1 in which said insert tray includes means forlimiting movement of the same upon said body and within said cover. 5.The device of claim 1 in which a. the top of said cover has a lip on oneside and on each end thereof, and b. said bottom of said body has a lipon one side and each end thereof.
 6. The device of claim 5 in which a.the space for the food tray extends from one sidewall of the case bodyto b. a partition parallel to said sidewall and is terminated at one endby a transverse partition disposed inwardly of an endwall of the bodyand meeting the one sidewall and the partition.
 7. The device of claim 1in which a. the top of said cover has a lip on one side and on each endthereof, b. said bottom of said body has a lip on one side and each endthereof, c. the space for the food tray extends from one sidewall of thecase body to d. a partition parallel to said sidewall and is terminatedat one end by a transverse partition disposed inwardly of an endwall ofthe body and meeting the one sidewall and the partition.
 8. A closabledinner service comprising: a. a case having b. a body, c. said bodyhaving an opening formed therein, d. a cover closable upon said body e.a food tray insertable into said body through said opening when thecover is closed and f. an insert tray for mounting in an overlyingrelation upon and above the plane of said food tray and within saidcover with said cover upon said body, g. wherein the body has h. sidewalls and i. end walls and j. said opening is formed in one of said sidewalls, and k. wherein the space for the food tray extends from one sidewall of the case body to l. a partition parallel to said side wall andis terminated at one end by a transverse partition disposed inwardly ofan end wall of the body and meeting the one side wall and the partition.9. A dinner service according to claim 8 in which: a. the space in saidbody into which the food tray is inserted is terminated by a partitionnormal to the wall having the opening therein and b. one end of theinsert tray terminates at substantially the same location as thetransverse partition when inserted into the case to form a space for acup between said tray and transverse partition and the end wall.
 10. Adinner service according to claim 9 in which: a. the food tray fallsshort of is end of the body at which the cup space id disposed and b.another transverse partition extending from said side wall to saidparallel partition and forming another compartment, c. said insert traycovering the above named compartment and the compartment receiving thefood tray when the case is closed and d. partitions in said insert trayforming compartments for miscellaneous articles.